[muh-loh-dee-uh
n] 
| 1. | a small reed organ. |
| 2. | a kind of accordion. |
| me·lo·de·on (mə-lō'dē-ən) n. A small harmonium. [Probably alteration of melodium, from melody.] |
melodeon
keyboard instrument sounded by the vibration of free reeds by wind. It is an American development of the harmonium, from which it differs in two principal respects. Its foot-operated bellows draw the air in past the reeds by suction, rather than forcing it out by pressure; and the characteristic size and form of the reeds and resonators result in a more even dynamic level throughout the compass. It was slower to respond than the harmonium but sounded more organlike and had a softer tone
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